Carrying out maintenance on compressed air equipment
Overview
This standard identifies the competences you need to carry out corrective maintenance activities on compressed air systems and equipment, in accordance with approved procedures. This will involve dismantling, removing and replacing faulty or damaged components, in line with company procedures, on a variety of compressed air equipment, such as compressed air generation, distribution and control systems. You will be expected to cover a range of maintenance activities, such as proof marking/labelling of components to aid the assembly, dismantling components requiring pressure techniques, torque loading, and setting, aligning and adjusting components, using appropriate techniques and procedures.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the maintenance activities undertaken, and to report any problems with these activities, or with the tools and equipment used, that you cannot personally resolve, or are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You must ensure that all tools, equipment and materials used in the maintenance activities are removed from the work area on completion of the activities, and that all necessary job/task documentation is completed accurately and legibly. You will be expected to work to instructions, alone or in conjunction with others, taking personal responsibility for your own actions, and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out.
Your underpinning knowledge will be sufficient to provide a sound basis for your work, and will enable you to adopt an informed approach to applying compressed air maintenance procedures. You will have an understanding of dismantling and reassembly methods and procedures, and their application. You will know how the system functions and the purpose of individual components, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out any repair or adjustment. In addition, you will have sufficient knowledge of these components to ensure that they are fit for purpose and meet the specifications, thus providing a sound basis for carrying out reassembly.
You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out the maintenance activities, especially those for isolating the equipment. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout, and will understand your responsibility for taking the necessary safeguards to protect yourself and others in the workplace.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
P1 work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
P2 follow the relevant maintenance schedules to carry out the required work
P3 carry out the maintenance activities within the limits of your personal authority
P4 carry out the maintenance activities in the specified sequence and in an agreed timescale
P5 maintain and/or replace components as required
P6 deal with problems within your control and report those that cannot be solved
P7 complete and store all relevant documentation in accordance with organisational requirements
P8 dispose of waste materials in line with organisational and environmentally safe procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
K1 how to work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
K2 the importance of wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), and of keeping the work area clean and tidy
K3 how to obtain and interpret information from job instructions and other documents needed for the maintenance activities
K4 the procedure for obtaining replacement parts, materials and other consumables necessary for the maintenance activities
K5 the sequence to be adopted for the dismantling/reassembly of various types of assemblies used on compressed air equipment
K6 the methods and techniques used to dismantle/assemble compressed air equipment
K7 methods of checking that components are fit for purpose, how to identify defects and wear characteristics, and the need to replace `lifed' items
K8 how to make adjustments to components/assemblies to ensure that they function correctly
K9 the basic principles of how the equipment functions, its operating sequence, the working purpose of individual units/components and how they interact
K10 how to check that tools and equipment are free from damage or defects, are in a safe and usable condition, and are configured correctly for their intended purpose
K11 the generation of maintenance documentation and/or reports following the maintenance activity
K12 the equipment operating and control procedures to be applied during the maintenance activity
K13 how to use lifting and handling equipment correctly and safely in the maintenance activity
K14 the associated with the maintenance activity, and how they can be overcome
K15 the organisational procedure to be adopted for the safe disposal of waste of all types of materials
K16 the extent of your own responsibility and to whom you should report if you have problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
1. Carry out all of the following during the maintenance activity:
1.1. undertake the maintenance activities to cause minimal disruption to normal working
1.2. use the correct issue of maintenance documentation (such as drawings, manuals, maintenance records, schedules)
1.3. adhere to procedures or systems in place for risk assessment, personal protective equipment and other relevant safety regulations and procedures to realise a safe system of work
1.4. ensure the safe isolation of equipment (such as mechanical, electricity, gas, air or fluids)
1.5. ensure that safe access and working arrangements have been provided for the maintenance area
1.6. carry out the scheduled maintenance tasks, using appropriate techniques and procedures
1.7. re-connect and return the equipment to service on completion of the maintenance activities
1.8. dispose of waste items in a safe and environmentally acceptable manner
1.9. leave the work area in a safe and tidy condition
2. Carry out maintenance activities on two of the following types of equipment:
2.1. compressed air generation
2.2. compressed air distribution
2.3. compressed air control
3. Carry out all of the following maintenance activities:
3.1. testing the system for leaks
3.2. dismantling equipment to the appropriate level
3.3. setting, aligning and adjusting components
3.4. checking components for serviceability
3.5. replacing all ‘lifed’ items (such as filters)
3.6. marking/labelling of components
3.7. tightening fasteners to the required torque
3.8. making ‘off-line’ checks before starting up
3.9. functionally testing the completed system
3.10. replacing damaged/defective components
3.11. recording the results of the maintenance activity
3.12. reporting or taking action with regard to any defects that require immediate attention (such as replacing non-‘lifed’ components)
4. Maintain and/or replace six of the following compressed air equipment and components:
4.1. pumps
4.2. reservoirs
4.3. compressors
4.4. flexible pipe/hoses
4.5. switches
4.6. receivers
4.7. couplings
4.8. silencers
4.9. gauges/indicators
4.10. electrical wiring
4.11. driers
4.12. rigid pipe
4.13. manifolds
4.14. gaskets and sealants
4.15. safety devices
4.16. motors
4.17. vanes
4.18. sensors
4.19. control equipment
4.20. pistons
4.21. filters
4.22. lubricators
4.23. electrical connectors
4.24. valves
4.25. regulators
4.26. separation units
4.27. monitoring equipment
4.28. belt drives
4.29. noise damping equipment
5. Maintain compressed air systems equipment, in accordance with one of the following:
5.1. organisational guidelines and codes of practice
5.2. equipment manufacturer’s operation range
5.3. company regulations
5.4. BS, ISO and/or BSEN standards
6. Complete one of the following maintenance records and pass it to the appropriate person:
6.1. job cards
6.2. permits to work/formal risk assessment and/or sign-on/off procedures
6.3. maintenance log or report
6.4. organisational specific documentation
6.5. electronic reports